Hay Festival

A message from our President 🫡

Repair. Rework. Renew. Woodworker Callum Robinson shares lessons from his craft in this week’s free film on Hay Festival Anytime. Enjoy! www.hayfestival.org/anytime/

Actress, comedian, writer and producer Ruth Jones shares her latest novel – By Your Side – in this week’s free film on Hay Festival Anytime. Enjoy! hayfestival.org/anytime/

Writer Horatio Clare shares stories from the frozen Bay of Bothnia, just short of the Arctic Circle, in our Winter Solstice playlist.  Enjoy! hayfestival.org/anytime

Love reading? Share the joy!

When the world is in crisis, where should we look for comfort? Author, academic and former politician Michael Ignatieff examines the concept of solace in this week’s free film on Hay Festival Anytime. Enjoy! www.hayfestival.org/anytime

Thanks for all the excellent responses to this. It might make you smile on this dreich day.

Thank you to the lovely audience member at @hayfestival who shared that her daughter had once corrected her pronunciation of ‘epiphany’ and told her it should of course be ‘epi-fanny’. Which word have you royally mispronounced because you’d only ever seen it written down?

The Wall Street Journal’s Sune Engel Rasmussen joins historian David Olusoga, journalist Jennifer Nadel and ITV Wales correspondent Rob Osborne to discuss the year’s biggest stories in this week’s free film on Hay Festival Anytime. Enjoy! www.hayfestival.org/anytime/

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PUBLIC BOOKING STARTS NOW. Roll up, roll up! hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye

Tickets on general sale at noon tomorrow.

Open books, open minds. Browse some of the new titles launching at Hay Festival 2026 over on our @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social page now, drawn from this week’s event drop. Dive in! uk.bookshop.org/shop/hayfest...

PRIORITY BOOKING IS NOW OPEN. Roll up, roll up! www.hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye/h...

Pssst.

Novelist Sebastian Faulks shares insights from a life in writing in our film of the week on Hay Festival Anytime. Enjoy! www.hayfestival.org/anytime/

Up and away ✨🌙✨ Thank you for coming, Haymakers. If you enjoyed this weekend’s event and wish to get early access to upcoming editions, become a Hay Festival Member now and stay tuned for some exciting news next week… 📸: Adam Tatton-Reid

Remembering Tom Stoppard (1937–2025), speaking here at Hay Festival 2010.

Spooky trees at @hayfestival.bsky.social !

Your Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2025 bestsellers.

Virtuoso guitarist and conductor Michael Poll performing in the atmospheric surroundings of St Mary’s Church. 📸: Adam Tatton-Reid

Criminal psychologist Julia Shaw on how we can start taking green crimes more seriously.

Bring out the sausage! Journalist Jennifer Nadel on compulsory voting.

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𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯. Poet Hollie McNish reads from Virgin.

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Today’s Online Pass schedule. Join us! www.hayfestival.org/onlinepass

A message from Anthony Shapland 🏆

Our Hay Festival Book of the Year 2025 is... A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland. A tender and resonant love story, the novel was one of the most talked about books at Hay Festival 2025. Dive in! www.hayfestival.org/book-of-the-...

A show-stopping ending. Actor Jonathan Pryce lightens the Slow Horses discussion.

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writers 🤝 readers 📸: Billie Charity / Adam Tatton-Reid

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When you get to do @hayfestival.bsky.social with your pal ♥️♥️ @nikitagill.bsky.social

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𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦... Poet Nikita Gill reads from Hekate.

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Live now!

Historians David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell on what the past can tell us about fighting authoritarianism.

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Actress and Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page on her life-changing role.

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Ready for a weekend of wonder? 📸: Adam Tatton-Reid

Today’s Online Pass schedule. Join us! www.hayfestival.org/onlinepass

Can change come from within Russia? Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina talks to Oliver Bullough at Hay Festival Winter Weekend.

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Live now!